Pat Grassley and Annette Sweeney hold final candidate forum before Iowa House primary

In their final head-to-head forum before a decisive Republican primary election next Tuesday, Iowa House candidates Pat Grassley and Annette Sweeney fielded questions on their top legislative accomplishments and priorities.

Grassley, of New Hartford, and Sweeney, of Alden are both Republican incumbents, but are running against one another after being drawn into the same new legislative district. They appeared together this morning at a Chamber Main Street-sponsored even in Conrad, a small town in southern Grundy County.

Grundy is the centerpiece of the new 50th District, although Sweeney and Grassley live in adjoining counties – Hardin and Butler, respectively. It’s also likely to be the key battleground for the candidates on Tuesday.

“Grundy County is pivotal because this is the only complete county in the district,” said John Conrad, a retiree who worked for U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley. He added, “Grundy County is the shining light in this entire process.”

And with no Democrat in the race, the winner of Tuesday’s primary almost certainly will return to the Capitol in January.

The crowd of about 15 at the forum this morning peppered the candidates with detailed policy questions – on property taxes, tax-increment financing, economic development, education and the gas tax.

On many of the issues, the two candidates offered similar policy perspectives: they both argued the state must wring efficiencies out of the Department of Transportation before pursuing an increase to the gas tax, and said that TIF laws should be reviewed but maintained for small communities.

Grassley, who is the grandson of Sen. Chuck Grassley, emphasized his legislative role as the chairman of the House Economic Growth Committee and member of the Ways and Means Committee – positions from which he was able to work on marquee property-tax reform, TIF reform and small-business legislation.

Sweeney, in turn, emphasized her roots in agriculture and experience as a schoolteacher alongside and her work as chairwoman of the House Agriculture Committee. She talked about her success in passing the Ag Protection Act – known to some as the “Ag Gag” bill – that created a new crime for entering an agriculture facility under false pretenses and her interest in local control and clear curriculum standards as part of education reform.

Questions from the audience also touched on some of the issues raised in the campaign, including the candidates’ voting records and history of introducing legislation.

Grassley has been accused by a third-party group that is supporting Sweeney of never having sponsored legislation during his six years in the House.

Responding to a question on the issue, he described a bill he authored in 2011 easing restrictions on rural electrical cooperatives that was passed into law and another requiring the state to analyze how new regulations will affect businesses.

“I know I’ve been unfairly attacked for not having authored any legislation, but it’s pretty simple to go up on the state’s website and pull up any legislator and see what bills they’ve been a part of,” Grassley said.

Another question, meanwhile, keyed in on one of Grassley possible strengths – the fact he’s never missed a House vote since being elected.

On the question, Sweeney defended her voting record, which she said included four daylong absences. Those absences came when she visited ill family members, she said, and once when she went to see her son give his FFA retirement speech.

“When you walk out of the Capitol, who’s going to be there at the bottom of the steps? It’s your family,” she said.